By Kevin Jamieson, CEO, BR International!
January isn’t about reflection for its own sake. It’s about decision-making.
For business leaders, the start of the year is when assumptions are tested: what held up, what didn’t, and where the real points of exposure sit. In 2026, one thing is no longer up for debate – supply chain disruption isn’t a temporary phase. It’s the operating environment.
Trade flows continue to shift. Geopolitical risk remains volatile. Weather events are disrupting routes and schedules. Cost pressure hasn’t eased. At the same time, expectations around speed, visibility and accountability are rising – from customers, regulators and internal stakeholders alike.
The businesses that perform best this year won’t be waiting for conditions to stabilise. They’ll be the ones that accept disruption as a constant and design their supply chains to operate through it – not around it.
A New Year, a New Operating Reality
Over the past few years, disruption has pushed many organisations into reactive decision-making. Expedited freight. Last-minute rerouting. Buffer stock added under pressure. Cost trade-offs made quickly, with limited visibility.
That approach is understandable. It’s also unsustainable.
As leaders plan for 2026, resilience needs to shift from being an emergency response to a deliberate design choice. The focus must move upstream – from firefighting individual issues to structuring supply chains that can absorb volatility without losing control.
At BR International, we see January as the right moment to reset how supply chains are built, not just how they’re managed day to day. That mindset matters more than ever, because disruption is no longer episodic. It’s structural.
“For us, it’s all about transparency. It’s about understanding the critical path and continually analysing and improving it.”
What Supply Chain Resilience Really Means in 2026
Resilience is often reduced to having a backup plan. In reality, it’s far more strategic than that.
In 2026, resilient supply chains are built on four practical foundations:
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Visibility: Real-time insight across suppliers, production, freight, customs and inventory. Not fragmented systems or delayed reporting, but clear, current information that supports confident commercial decisions.
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Flexibility: The ability to adjust routes, modes or sourcing when conditions change. Flexibility limits cost exposure, reduces operational stress and prevents small disruptions from becoming major failures.
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Integration: Freight, customs, warehousing and technology operating as a single system. When these elements are aligned, businesses gain speed, accuracy and control – not complexity.
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Partnership: Resilience isn’t built in isolation. It depends on partners who understand your business, challenge assumptions and help guide decisions, not just execute instructions.
This is what intentional design looks like in practice – and it’s what separates resilient supply chains from reactive ones
“Every customer has a critical path, but every customer’s critical path is a little bit unique. That’s how we analyse, review and improve it that makes the difference.”
Turning Last Year’s Disruptions into This Year’s Advantage
Every disruption exposes something.
Hidden dependencies. Over-reliance on a single supplier, region or route. Data gaps. Processes that only work when conditions are ideal.
Rather than treating these issues as setbacks, 2026 is the right time to use them as insight. Many businesses are now reassessing:
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Where their supply chain is overly concentrated
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How exposed they are to specific regions or transit routes
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Whether compliance and cost controls are genuinely robust
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How quickly they can identify and respond to issues as they emerge
When approached deliberately, disruption becomes a catalyst for smarter, leaner and more agile operations. It forces clarity – and clarity creates competitive advantage.
The BRi Approach
At BR International, our role isn’t to replace our customers’ expertise. It’s to extend it.
We operate as an end-to-end supply chain partner, integrating freight, customs, warehousing and technology into solutions built around each customer’s commercial reality.
That value comes from:
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A consultative, problem-solving mindset
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Deep engagement with suppliers and upstream partners
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Data-driven insight that improves cash-to-cash performance
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Proactive planning that shifts decisions from reactive to structured
This is how resilience is built – not through one-off fixes, but through long-term partnership.
As businesses enter 2026, the most effective starting point isn’t tactical. It’s strategic. Practical actions leaders should be considering include:
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Reviewing exposure and single-point dependencies
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Stress-testing logistics strategies against realistic disruption scenarios
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Improving visibility and data flow across the supply chain
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Partnering with advisors who can adapt as the business evolves
These aren’t short-term initiatives. They’re foundational decisions that shape how confidently a business can grow, regardless of what the year brings.
“It’s about doing more with less and getting a result by creating value,” I often remind teams.
Starting 2026 Stronger
The new year offers a chance to reset – not just targets, but assumptions.
Supply chain resilience is no longer optional. But it doesn’t need to be defensive. When designed intentionally, disruption becomes an opportunity to strengthen operations, optimise performance and gain an edge.
At BR International, we believe the strongest supply chains are built through clarity, flexibility and partnership. We look forward to helping businesses design for what comes next – and start 2026 on stronger footing.
